STRES -Structural Engineering Software- WALLS-EXPERT

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Introduction

WALLS-EXPERT is an innovative application for analysis and design of reinforced concrete core walls
of any shape.

WALLS-EXPERT is conceived for Engineers who need an easy and powerful tool to design a simple
wall or a complex group of walls (core) as shown in the samples above.
The main features of WALLS-EXPERT are:

Friendly graphical interface allowing for a quick introduction of loads and parameters.
Direct import of the core geometry and reinforcement from AutoCAD. All what the user has
to do is to draw the geometry of the walls by the mean of closed contours (polylines) and to
represent the reinforcement by donuts, just the same way when generating classical design
drawings. By grouping the donuts with layers each having its name as the reinforcement
diameter, WALLS-EXPERT will straightforwardly recognize the geometry of the core and the
reinforcement. It is the most efficient and quick way to import elements of any complexity.
When walls composing the core are not connected, WALLS-EXPERT interprets voids as
doors, allowing thus the consideration of realistic situations where doors are inevitably
present.

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Rectangular block and parabolic-linear models for concrete are available. Bilinear models
(with hardening) for reinforcement can be used as well. The user can choose to either use
the reinforcement in compression or not. Strength reduction factors can be used if
designing walls according to ACI318-11.
Graphical display by the mean of colored maps of the stresses in concrete and
reinforcement. This unique feature allows the user to fully investigate the results and
optimize the reinforcement in the walls by detecting zones where the reinforcement bars
are highly stressed. Both non-linear (real) and elastic stresses can be displayed.
Generation of (N,My,Mz) interaction diagrams to verify the capacity of the section.
Shear design of all walls segments considering doors and windows, according to ACI31811. The software calculates horizontal and vertical reinforcement required to resist shear
forces resulting from seismic and wind forces.
Generation of a high quality design note where results are displayed by the mean of
graphics and tables.

WALLS-EXPERT combines simplicity with state-of-the-art technologies to help you solve your most
complicated problems within minutes.

Real stresses (MPa) in concrete and reinforcement

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Import from AutoCAD of a complex core containing doors

STRES -Structural Engineering Software- WALLS-EXPERT

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General overview

The Main Window contains seven areas:

Geometry and materials. Used to load an AutoCAD file containing the drawing of the walls
and to control the materials parameters.
Design Combinations (KN). Ultimate combinations of loads (units are in KN) are
introduced for the axial force, bending moment around axis y and bending moment around
axis z for axial forces-flexure analysis.
Display stresses for the selected combination. Real (non-linear) compression/tension
stresses for concrete and reinforcement are displayed for the selected combination. Elastic
stresses for the gross section can be shown as well.
Section properties. Displays the mechanical characteristics of the section (areas, inertias)
Design as per ACI318-11. The core can be fully verified according to the American
Standards (ACI318-11 metric). The generated interaction diagrams for axial forces-moments
incorporate strength reduction factors for tension and compression controlled sections.
Horizontal and vertical reinforcement are calculated considering full requirements of ACI.
Files operations. Allows saving in a separate file all datas introduced to the software
(combinations for bending and shear analysis, material properties), opening an existing
project, creating a new one from scratch, and generating a Word design note.
The graphical display where stresses are displayed with two scales, for concrete and steel.

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Loading a drawing from AutoCAD

WALLS-EXPERT offers a simple and efficient way to input the geometry and the reinforcement of
core walls: Using one of the most traditional CAD softwares available on the market, AutoCAD.
The screen capture below shows a complex group of walls pertaining to a core, generated on
AutoCAD.

During the drawing phase, the following simple rules should be respected:

The geometry of the wall(s) should be realized by using closed polylines or rectangles
belonging to layer WALLS. When two walls do not have common edges, the void between
them is interpreted as a door. Since the whole group of walls will behave in the program as a
unique section, the user must ensure that the lintel above the opening is stiff enough to
make the core behave as one unit under lateral loads. If two distinct walls are not linked by a
lintel then they will resist independently lateral loads (not like one entity) and consequently
they should not be introduced both in the core.
Walls of complicated geometry can consist of one polyline having multiple segments or a
series of adjacent rectangles. If you draw the wall by using the line command, do not forget
at the end to convert the series of lines to a closed polyline.
Arcs and curves cannot be represented by using the arc or circle command in AutoCAD.
Always approximate arcs by a series of segments.
All reinforcement should be represented as donuts (use the donuts command in AutoCAD).
The diameter and the color of the donuts are not important. The program identifies the
diameter of the rebar by reading its layers name. The screen capture below is extracted
from AutoCAD layers menu. All donuts should belong to layers named D# where # is an
integer number representing the diameter in mm of the rebar.
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It is advised to keep in the drawing to be loaded by the program only the layers shown in the
image below. Thus the drawing to be created should contain only the geometry of the wall
(polylines in layer WALLS) and the reinforcement (donuts in layers D#).
The unit of the drawing is always meters and the scale 1. Example: wall of length 3.75m
and width 0.25m should be represented by rectangle 3.75x0.25.
If using a very recent version of AutoCAD, it is advised to save the drawing in older formats
(ex. AutoCAD 2010).
Many samples of walls drawings can be found in the folder Drawings samples located
inside WALLS-EXPERT folder.

NB:
Only the longitudinal (vertical) reinforcement has to be represented in the drawing. The
horizontal reinforcement is calculated by the program when designing for shear.

Sample of layers to be used in a walls drawing

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Materials

Two concrete models are available in the software.

The classical rectangular block model generally adopted by most of Codes

The more realistic parabolic-linear model

Any of both models can be used to generate the interaction diagrams, but the program always uses
the parabolic-linear one (more stable numerically), even if not selected, to display real stresses in
concrete and reinforcement.

A bilinear curve is used to model steel material. By setting the ultimate stress equal to the yield one
(no hardening), we retreive the common behavior law that can be found in most of the Standards.
By using strength-reduction factors, it is possible to verify the flexural capacity of the section
according to any Code and particularly ACI318.
The user can prevent compression reinforcement to participate in the strength of the section.
Ultimate strain (set to 10% in the figure above) corresponds to the rupture point of the
reinforcement.
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Design combinations

The user should introduce acting forces as ultimate combinations; they are applied by the program
on the center of gravity of the core. The introduced load cases are used by the software to verify
the flexural capacity of the section (interaction diagrams) and to display the resulting normal
stresses maps in steel and concrete.
The reference (Y,Z) is displayed in the figure above.
Units are in KN and cannot be changed.

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Real and elastic stresses

Real stresses
For the selected combination, real stresses can be displayed by the mean of colored maps for both
concrete and reinforcement (individually for each rebar).
This original feature can be used for two purposes:
1. Reinforcement optimization of the core. The user can check the distribution of stresses in
concrete and steel for each combination. Reinforcement area can be reduced in zones
where tension stresses are low, as it can be increased when stresses reach the ultimate limit
fu, in case the design fails. This is why it is interesting to use this feature in conjunction with
the Design for flexure in order to cleverly increase the strength of the section that fails
under some combinations.
2. For cores designed to resist seismic loads, ACI requires the use of boundary elements and to
identify their lengths based on the location of the neutral axis. This latter is displayed
together with a gird of step 25cm. The user can hence easily deduce the dimension of the
boundary edge for each wall of the core.
Elastic stresses
Elastic stresses are displayed for the selected combination, considering a linear elastic behavior of
concrete and disregarding the presence of steel. The main purpose of the elastic stresses is to assist

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the user to identify whether a boundary element is required or not (which is true if compression
stresses exceed 0.2*fc, as per ACI318).
To modify the diameters of the reinforcement (if required), the user has to go back to the AutoCAD
drawing. A good procedure consists on starting with a reinforcement configuration that satisfies
minimal Code requirements, and to increase the reinforcement accordingly to the obtained results.
NB:
One should note that stresses are displayed even if the loading case falls outside the interaction
diagram. To perform a Code verification of the section regarding axial forces-bending, the Design
for flexure procedure should be used.

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Design according to ACI318-11 metric

The program can perform a full Code design of the core for flexure (with axial force) and shear.

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Design for flexure

The program analyses all the introduced combinations and generates the related interaction
diagrams.
For the selected combination (N,My,Mz), a capacity curve is generated in the My,Mz plane. This
curve defines the flexural capacity of the section under the applied axial force N. The flexural
capacity of the section depends on the intensity of the applied axial force present in the
combination. The loading case is represented on the display by a cross in green color if (My,Mz) falls
within the domain, and in red color if (My,Mz) falls outside it. On the other hand, if the axial force
exceeds the limits in compression or in tension of the section, the corresponding combination fails
as well.
The interaction diagram considers the introduced values of the strength reduction factors for
compression and tension controlled sections. These factors can be found in the Parameters
window.
If the design fails under a combination, it is advised to check the corresponding real stresses map in
order to identify the cause and hence to consider the proper measures.
Each diagram can be added to the Word design note by clicking the Add selected button.

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Design for shear

The design of walls regarding shear forces is a complicated procedure especially when both seismic
and non seismic combinations are present. The expressions to be used are not identical (the
recommendations of both chapters 11 and 21 of ACI318-11 should be followed) and several
conditions should be satisfied. This is without mentioning the eventual presence of doors and
windows.
WALLS-EXPERT fully tackles the problem by verifying the resistance of the wall and by providing the
areas of the required vertical and horizontal reinforcement.
The following notation is used:

A core consists on a group of walls

A wall could be plain or with openings (door and windows)
If a wall contains openings, the element between two openings is called segment. If just one
opening is present then there should be two segments.

For each wall pertaining to the loaded core, the user should provide the informations requested in
the tables above, whether the wall is plain or contains openings.
Two tables are displayed.
1. The upper one concerns walls with openings. The user should at first specify the number of
segments present in the wall. Then he should introduce the number of each segment
(integer starting from 1 till the total number of segments) and that of the combination
(integer starting from 1) applied on the wall in question. Beside the shear force, the user
should provide the applied axial force and moment on the segment in case the combination
is not seismic. Once all segments (belonging to the same wall) and combinations are
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introduced, the user can then proceed to the calculations and save the wall. This operation is
repeated as many times as there are walls with openings in the core. The order of
introduction in the table of the segments and combinations is not important.
2. If the wall is plain, then the lower table must be used. Here only the number of the
combination is needed (starting from 1) and the applied combinations. Plain walls can be
saved as well.
In both cases, whether the wall is plain or not, the dimensions of the wall should be always provided
(length, total height and thickness) in the area located at the right of the tables.
The user should calculate the wall before saving it by clicking on the calculate button.
Once the calculate button is pressed, the program opens a window where the proposed
theoretical horizontal reinforcement is displayed. It can be modified by the user in order to match
the value obtained when using the available diameters in the market (real reinforcement).

Once the calculated theoretical reinforcement is displayed, another window is opened (refer to the
screen capture hereafter).
The Wall Results window for walls with openings displays three tables.

The first one shows for each segment its nominal shear capacity, the calculated horizontal
and vertical reinforcement and the status of the design.
The Wall verification is displayed only if one or more seismic combinations are applied to
the wall. Indeed, ACI318 requires verifying that the nominal shear capacity of the seismic
wall exceeds the sum of nominal shear capacities of all segments belonging to the wall. If
this condition is not met the design fails even if all segments are verified.

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The final required reinforcement for each segment is displayed as well, whether the design
fails for some combinations or not.

Once the window above is closed, it is advised to save the wall.

It is possible to design all walls present in the core, to save them, and to open them for eventual
modifications.
The user should note that the introduced combinations for shear design differ from those
introduced for flexural analysis. For shear, the forces to introduce are applied on each wall while for
flexure the introduced forces are applied on the whole core.

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Saving a project, generating a design note.

The save button allows to save all the introduced parameters and forces for flexure and shear
design in a file to be saved on the hard disk.
The new button empties all the variables used by the software for the creation of a new project.
Generate note creates a detailed Word document where results are displayed by the mean of
graphics and tables.

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